Thursday, 4 August 2011

Starfall: The Beginning

“We salute you, brave warriors,” says Max Herald, smiling gloriously, soaking up the attention of the cameras and the audience. “May the best pilot prevail!”

You and your fellow contestants turn and climb the gantries towards your CommandCores. The protective plates close around you, hemming you tightly within the pod at the centre of the Ragnarok AuGArma. Remembering your intensive training, you coax the armoured beast into life, the cramped darkness in front of you opening up with light and colour as the visual sensors spring into action.

From your high vantage point, you look down on the ceremonial hanger bay. The audience whoop and applaud from the rows and rows of seats. Lights flash, smoke billows, triumphant music plays.

You sneak a look at the other AuGArma robotic suits being boarded by your opponents. Machines of a variety of colours, sizes and shapes stand before the cameras and the audience – it seems you've all made some very different choices in picking equipment. You wonder what capabilities and weaponry they'll be packing – difficult to tell until you enter the fight...

Reylan's blue and silver Arma stands motionless next to yours. It doesn't appear to be anything special, but you shiver a little as you study it. Will you face him in combat? Can you beat someone like him?

With a flourish of his cloak, Herald gives the signal. You fire up the main generator, the powerful rumble of your warrior-machine mixing with the noise of your fellow competitors, the crowd roaring with delight. Moving with skill, you turn the metal giant and enter the DroPod behind you. The one-use landing craft locks your Arma in place, its leaf-like shell closing around you.

You take one last look down at Dee. He seems to know you are watching, and raises his thumb towards you, a grim smile on his face.

“Ready to give em' hell?” chirps Ray in your ear.

“Most definitely,” you reply.

The DroPod fires you down out of the ship, rushing out into space, towards the planet below.

To be continued... by you!

The Starfall adventure begins tomorrow at 8:00am GMT – but don't forget to retweet the below to level-up your HP:

“Time to buff up and prepare for battle! #Starfall, the next @tw33t_rpg adventure, begins at 8:00am GMT tomorrow! Please RT!”